Pole dance is a performance art involving moving, dancing, and interacting with a metal pole. It is a competitive sport in which pole-dancing performers dance around and upon a pole. Performers climb the pole, hold and extend themselves outwardly at various angles from the pole, invert themselves while gripping the pole, and spin around the pole, often while maintaining one of the above poses. Pole-dancing requires significant knowledge, strength, flexibility, endurance, and training to become proficient.
The pole used during a pole-dancing activity is typically approximately two inches in diameter and eight or more feet high and is mounted to the ground or between the ground and an upper support. Poles are generally made of a strong, rigid material such as metal, especially steel, aluminum, brass, and the like. The outer surface of the pole is generally smooth and slick, as is typical of a metal surface.
Performers dancing with a pole necessarily touch the pole with their feet and legs. A performer may use his or her legs and feet to touch the pole, grip the pole, depend from the pole, cantilever out from the pole, “stand” on the pole, “sit” on the pole, spin about the pole, and interact in other ways with the pole. The skin of the performer's legs and feet is thus placed in frequent contact with the pole while gripping, hanging, spinning, and performing other moves from the pole, causing the skin and tissue to become bruised, burned, and rubbed with prolonged training.
Accordingly what is needed is a protective and assistive garment useful in assisting and protecting a user during pole dance activities and also other selected activities, such as sports activities, gymnastics, exercising activities, and the like, where a user may come into contact with sports, gymnastics, and exercising equipment or implements.